What is Cognitive Science?

Cognitive science is the interdisciplinary study of mind and the nature of intelligence. Cognitive scientists come from a wide range of backgrounds including anthropology, biology, computer science, education, philosophy, psychology, mathematics, neuroscience, and others. Scholars in this field share common goals of better understanding cognition.

Furthermore, cognitive science explores the nature of the mind and intelligence systems. At the core of cognitive science is the pursuit of formal theories of mind and information. The field is inherently interdisciplinary, and individuals who work in this field combine information and expertise from a variety of disciplines like those mentioned above. Both natural intelligence in humans and artificial intelligence in computers are central themes explored by students and scholars in the field. Cognitive science involves aspects of complex cognition, computational models of thought processes, knowledge representation, and the emergent behavior of large-scale interacting systems. At the most basic level, Cognitive science seeks a better understanding of the mind, the process and tools of teaching and learning, of mental abilities, and of the development of intelligent devices that can augment human capabilities in constructive ways.

Disciplines
The true interdisciplinary nature of cognitive science provides for a unique blend of expertise from numerous academic disciplines. Although the list of related disciplines is constantly changing, the traditional disciplines of cognitive science include anthropology, computer science, linguistics, neuroscience, philosophy, and psychology. With the advent of new interest and research in cognitive science, several other disciplines are a part of the field including:


 * Artificial Intelligence
 * Biology
 * Communications
 * Education
 * Engineering
 * History and Philosophy of Science
 * Informatics
 * Mathematics
 * Music
 * Sociology
 * Speech and Hearing Sciences

Current Research Trends
A complete listing of the countless amount of work being done by cognitive scientists worldwide would be an immense task and this fact alludes to the true beauty of cognitive science. The vast array of research in cognitive science is all centered around understanding the workings of the mind and the nature of intelligence. The following is a broad sample of recent research themes in cognitive science at universities and research institutes:


 * Artificial Intelligence
 * Cognitive Neuroscience
 * Computational Modeling
 * Decision-Making
 * Functional Brain Imaging
 * Human-Computer Interaction
 * Learning and Memory
 * Logic
 * Neural Network Modeling
 * Neural Basis of Cognition
 * Neuropsychology
 * Object Recognition
 * Perception and Action
 * Philosophy of Mind
 * Psycholinguistics
 * Robotics
 * Speech & Communication
 * Visual Perception

Careers in Cognitive Science
Training in cognitive science prepares students admirably well for careers in academia and research as well as numerous other major fields of the twenty-first century. Due to the sharp rise in technology oriented industries, the number of career positions available in cognitive science has grown enormously, and this trend will likely continue. Career growth potential is also excellent in terms of salary as well as advancement in many diversified fields and geographical locations. The interdisciplinary nature of cognitive science also means that graduates with training in this field are often well-prepared to pursue career paths in several different disciplines.

Career options in any of the below fields will usually be enhanced with an advanced degree. Because cognitive science related jobs often require significant amounts of technical training and knowledge, many individuals seeking these positions will have a graduate degree. Thus, a master or doctoral degree will certainly make a person more competitive in this job market. Many management and industrial research positions and all college level academic research and teaching positions will require a graduate degree. Nonetheless, the skills acquired by cognitive science undergraduates are applicable in many career fields, including:


 * Artificial Intelligence
 * Data Representation/Retrieval
 * Education
 * Human-Computer Interaction
 * Human Factors Engineering
 * Human Performance Testing
 * Information Processing
 * Intelligence Analyst
 * Marketing/Business
 * Medical Analysis
 * Multimedia Design
 * Neurological testing
 * Scientific Research Assistance
 * Technical Writing
 * Telecommunications
 * Urban Planning